Columbus Blue Jackets

Wall Street Journal Headlines

As the New York Islanders get set to open their first playoff series since 2013, their fans are coming to grips with the end of an era at the Nassau Coliseum and deciding whether they’ll be there for the beginning of a new one in Brooklyn.

McDonagh sat out his fourth straight game Thursday, as the Rangers beat Buffalo and, with the help of the Philadelphia Flyers, who lost to Tampa Bay, clinched home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Rangers beat the Devils on Tuesday, 4-2, to earn home-ice advantage through the Stanley Cup playoffs by winning something called the Presidents’ Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL team with the best regular-season record.

The Rangers and Penguins may seem like longtime playoff rivals, but they have met only four times in the postseason, with the Penguins winning all four series—and the Rangers winning only four of 20 total games.

The Rangers may still trade Ryan Callahan, but that's on hold until after the Olympics. In the meantime, they just have to hope he doesn't get hurt in Sochi. The same is true of the Islanders and their star, Thomas Vanek.

Under the league's realignment of divisions, the Rangers, Islanders and Devils will play one another only five times this season, compared with six games in recent years and as many as eight after the 2004-05 lockout.